Author: Dr. Abdel El Hadrami

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are growth hormones from the steroid family that are found in all plant species. They have a high-growth promoting activity, particularly in pollen and anthers, and take their name from the pollen of canola (Brassica napus), where they were initially discovered. BRs are involved in the control of cell division, elongation and differentiation […]

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient that while needed in small amounts, plays a key role in photosynthesis. Mn sparks the photosynthesis process by splitting water after Photosytem II (PSII) fixes light to initiate the conversion of CO2 and water into carbohydrates. Manganese deficiency is widespread in Canadian Prairies and Eastern Canada, reducing growth and […]

In the pursuit of better and bigger crops, farming is becoming more technologically advanced and capital intensive. The need to find ways to save money, while continuing to reach for those high yield goals, is more important than ever for Canadian producers. If this sounds like a conundrum that you’re facing, soil testing might be […]

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). This global declaration, which follows International Year of Soil in 2015, is meant to raise awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment and boost the economy of many countries around the world. […]

You don’t need to check the calendar to know that summer has arrived. Heading into the long weekend, temps across the Prairies are in the mid-20s to low 30s and, according to the latest forecast, it looks like the heat and humidity will be sticking around. Before you lose your cool, read on. In earlier […]

Lodging occurs when the crop falls over and does not return to a standing position. Crop lodging can be very costly to producers and can pose many challenges during harvest. For instance, it is common to see secondary growth on the flattened crop extending maturity and diminishing grain quality. For the past couple of years, harvest in some parts […]

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) and plant growth stimulators (PGSs) are naturally-occurring or synthetic compounds that, when applied to plants, modify their physiological processes, and growth and development habits. In plant cells, they stimulate specific enzymes or pathways and help regulate metabolism. The term “PGR” is widely used in Western Canada to refer to products that […]

Photo credit: Chatterton et al., 2017 Root rot and clubroot are two serious diseases which can, at best, cause yield losses and, at worst, cause premature plant death. While clubroot is a disease solely affecting brassica crops, such as canola, root rot can take hold in cereals, pulses, canola and other field crops when conditions […]

Soil pH is a key factor in farmland as it controls availability of nutrients, microbial activity and crop productivity. Before delving into what causes soils to become acid and the steps to take to treat and correct acidic soil, we must first establish what is considered an optimal pH for crop production. For most prairie […]

Soil salinity can occur naturally or be caused by human activity – continuously irrigating with water that has a high salt concentration, for example. While some crops are tolerant to saline soils, high concentrations of some salts can be toxic to others. Salinity can also affect a plant’s uptake of water and absorption of nutrients. […]